Abstract
Background:
Excess weight and behaviors related to physical activity, electronic screen use, and dietary habits are interrelated dimensions of youth health.
Objective:
To determine whether excess weight was associated with physical activity frequency, electronic screen time, and meal regularity among Costa Rican students aged 10 to 15.
Method:
A cross-sectional study was conducted with 900 students from 15 schools in Montes de Oca, Costa Rica. Excess weight—defined as overweight or obesity—was classified according to the World Health Organization's body mass index-for-age reference criteria. Prevalence, bivariate associations, and adjusted odds ratios were estimated using binary logistic regression.
Results:
The prevalence of excess weight was 37.8%. Skipping breakfast was associated with a higher likelihood of excess weight after adjusting for sex, age, socioeconomic status, nationality, family structure, skipping dinner, physical activity, and electronic screen time (adjusted OR: 1.67; 95% CI: 1.11-2.51). Engaging in physical activity three or more days a week was associated with a lower likelihood of excess weight (adjusted OR: 0.75; 95% CI: 0.56-0.99). Electronic screen time of two or more hours per day did not show an independent association.
Conclusions:
In this school-based sample, excess weight was associated with skipping breakfast and a lower weekly frequency of physical activity. Due to the cross-sectional design, the findings should be interpreted as simultaneous associations rather than causal or temporal relationships.